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<TITLE>MID-AUTUMN MOON FESTIVAL</TITLE>
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<H2 ALIGN="CENTER">MID-AUTUMN MOON FESTIVAL</H2>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">&copy; <A HREF="mailto:rwwaugh@istar.ca">Rick
Waugh</A>, FCC BC </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the
15<SUP>th</SUP> day of the eighth lunar month, exactly in the middle of Autumn,
(that being the seventh, eighth, and ninth lunar months.) It is a family
festival, an outdoor festival, a harvest festival. It is beautiful and
elegant.</FONT></P>
<IMG SRC="../Images/change.gif" ALT="Chang'e Rising to the Moon" WIDTH="320" HEIGHT="200" BORDER="0" ALIGN="LEFT"><P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Originally, the festival celebrated the harvest. With all of the
produce gathered up, stored, or sold, families would get together to eat, drink
and be merry. Round foods predominated: melons, pomegranates, and especially
small cakes called &#147;Moon Cakes&#148;, that were imprinted with various
signs of the moon. The moon itself, as fully and heavy as it gets all year,
denotes the family, as does anything round, a symbol of harmony.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">The moon is the subject of many myths. Most
famous is the story of Chang&#146;e. Her husband, Hou Yi, was a master archer.
He shot nine of the ten suns from the sky, as they were causing all the land to
burn up. As a reward, the Queen Mother of the West gave him the elixir of
eternal life. A cruel acquaintance convinced Hou Yi that Chang&#146;e was being
unfaithful; the archer so berated his wife that she ran away, found the elixir,
and drank it, believing it to be poison. She rose up to the moon, to live there
forever, tended by the Jade Rabbit. Full of remorse, Hou Yi rose up to the sun.
Ever since, the couple sees each other only once a year, on the 15<SUP>th</SUP>
day of the eighth lunar month. This is the conjunction of Yin and Yang, when
the full moon shines at its most brilliant.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">What to do on this night? Go outside, offer
your moon cakes and other round goodies up to the moon. Drink tea in the
moonlight, and wait until the reflection of the moon makes a perfect disk in
your cup. Then eat your goodies, and finish your tea. For the children, this is
also called the Lantern festival, and brightly colored lanterns in many
different shapes should be made, displayed, and dragged around.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">FCC is planning on a get together this fall. It
is on <B>Saturday, September 25th, </B>at <B>7:00 pm</B>. We&#146;ll meet in
Queen Elizabeth park in Vancouver, (the old quarry, near Cambie.) We will be in
the area that overlooks Vancouver and the mountains to the North, beside the
dome. Bring your tea, bring your moon cakes, lanterns, anything you like, and
be prepared to just sit, enjoy the evening, and toast the moon.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">For more information about the festival,
including stories, some poetry, and moon cake recipes, check out
<A HREF="/fccbc/CulturalWebSites.htm">these
links</A>.</FONT></P>
<H2><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Moon Cakes Home&#150;Style Recipe</FONT></H2>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">From &#147;The Festive Food of China&#148; by
Deh-Ta Hsiung</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1"><B>Ingredients</B></FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1"><I>Pastry A</I></FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">250g/10oz/2&frac12; cups of flour<BR>
170g/6oz lard or shortening, softened<BR>
about 150 ml/2/3 cup water<BR>
10 ml/2 tsp sugar <BR>
pinch of salt</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1"><I>Pastry B</I></FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">170g/6oz/1&frac12;cups flour<BR>
17og/6ox softened lard or shortening</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1"><I>Filling</I></FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">450g/1 lb sweet red bean paste</FONT></P>
<OL>
<LI><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Sift the flour for Pastry A into a mixing bowl
and add the lard and water. Slowly work in and add the sugar and salt. Knead
until smooth.</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Sift the Flour for Pastry B into another
bowl.. Add the lard. Work in and knead until smooth. On a lightly dusted
surface, roll the two doughs into two &#147;sausages&#148;, then devide each
into 24 protions.</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">Roll each portion into a round ball and
flatten with a rolling pin, making Pastry A circles larger than those of B.
Place Pastry B circles on top of the A circles. Fold four edges of the A over
the B pastry to form a square, and gently roll out into a rectangular shape.
Fold the two ends into the centre to form a square again, then lightly roll out
into a circular shape, fairly thin.</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">When all the pastry cases are made, divide the
red bean paste into 24 portions and roll each into a small ball, then flatten
slightly. Place one in the centre of each pastry circle and pull the edges
together to enclose the paste. Brush with a little water or beaten egg if the
edges do not stick well.</FONT></LI>
<LI><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">To cook, place the cakes on a greased and
floured baking tray. Bake in a preheated 200&ordm;C/400&ordm;F/gas6 oven for
about 20 minutes. Remove and serve cold.</FONT></LI>
</OL>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-1">The Festive Food of China, Kyle Cathie Limited,
London, 1991 p 46-7</FONT></P>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="-2"><B>Last Updated: September 10th, 1999 </B></FONT>
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